Cook the Book: Broccoli and Pesto Tagliatelle

I constantly have to remind myself that every dinner doesn't have to be a production—nor does every meal have to require a special trip to the market for new ingredients. Sometimes all you have to do is look into your fridge for a little inspiration. This recipe for Broccoli and Pesto Tagliatelle from Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver is a satisfying meal that by no means is a big production. The Italians are masters of making extremely satisfying meals out of minimal and inexpensive ingredients—this pasta is a prime example.

Combining broccoli, potatoes, pesto, and tagliatelle, this dish was inspired by a Genovese one, except it uses broccoli—inexpensive and plentiful this time of year—along with potatoes for added creaminess and texture. It comes together in about the same time it takes to actually boil the pasta, making it an easy go-to meal after a trying day.

Maybe pasta has gotten a bad rap in recent years due to its carb factor, but when it comes to quick meals, it's sure hard to beat. Plus, with very little cheese and bounty of vegetables, this dish can hardly qualify as an overindulgence.

Win Jamie's Food Revolution

As always with our Cook the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Jamie's Food Revolution to give away this week.

Cook the Book: Broccoli and Pesto Tagliatelle

About This Recipe

Yield:

4 to 6

Ingredients

1 medium potato

1 head broccoli

A large bunch of fresh basil

Sea salt

1 pound dried tagliatelle

1/4 cup green pesto

3 ounces Parmesan cheese

Procedures

1

Wash and peel the potato and cut it into very thin shavings using a speed peeler. Cut little broccoli florets off the head and put them to one side. Halve the thin stalk lengthwise, then slice thinly. Pick the basil leaves and discard the stalks.

2

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the tagliatelle and broccoli stalks and cook according to the tagliatelle package instructions. Two minutes before the the tagliatelle is cooked, add the broccoli and potato slices. Drain everything in a colander over a large bowl, reserving some of the cooking water, and return to the pan. Roughly chop half of your basil leaves and add to the pan with the pesto and half of the Parmesan. Give it all a good stir and if the sauce is too thick for you, add a splash of the cooking water to thin it out a bit.

3

Divide the pasta between your serving bowls. Sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan and the remaining basil leaves. Serve it a lovely big bowl of salad.